Strainer for liquid fuel



f Dcfzs, `1923. 1,478,785

H. V. GOMPF STRAINER FOR LIQUID FUEL Filed Sept. l4 1922 'atented Dec. 25, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY V. GOMPF, F SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, 0F ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES S. JUDSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, AND ONE-THIRD T0 GOLDEN C. DAVIS, 0F SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

STRAINER FOR LIQUID FUEL.

Application filed September 14, 1922. Serial No. 588,198.

To all whom t may conce-m:

Be it known that I, HARRY V. GOMPF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Strainers for Liquid Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to strainers for liquid, it relating particularly to strainers for'straining gasoline or other liquid fuel for internal combustion engines and has been designed especially for use in connection with the well-known vacuum feed system in common use on automobiles.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement for separating the sediment from the fuel before the fuel leaves the strainer.

A further object of the invention is to devise a strainer of the character referred to which will be simple in construction, economical in manufacture and effective in operation.

In the accompanying drawings:

, Fig. 1 is a side view showing a portion of a well-known vacuum feed system with my improved strainer applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the strainer.

Fig. 3 is a side view looking at the device in a direction at right-angles to that as viewed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

eferring to the drawings, 1 represents 40. the outer casing of a vacuum feed system of a well-known construction by which fuel is drawn from a storage tank by a vacuum created by the en ine suction and fed tothe carbureter. T e cover thereof has an interiorly threaded boss 2 to which the pipe from the fuel supply tank is ordinarily connected. In the present case this threaded boss is utilized for the purpose of attaching my improved strainer now to be described.

There is provided a receptacle 3 which may be of any suitable material but is shown in the present case as made of glass. The top of this receptacle is closed by a metallic cap 4 in such a manner as to exclude air at the joint. A simple form of clamping device 1s employed consistin of a wire 5 the ends of which are hooke together as indicated at 6 and two points of which are formed with loops7 to receive bolts 8 which project through diametrically opposite ears 9 on the cap and receive nuts 10 by which the wire ring 5 may be drawn up the flaring sides of the glass receptacle and thereby tightened so as to firmly clamp the upper edge of the same against a gasket 11 placed 1n an annular groove 12 on the under side' of the cap.

The outer side of the cap is formed with an enlargement 13 projecting from a point near the center thereof to a point slightly beyond one edge and this enlargement is formed with a bore 14, the inner end of which communicates with a vertical bore 15 which receives a hollow stem 16. The outer end of the enlargement 13 is formed with an inte ral collar 17 to receive a con` nector by which the straining device is connected to and supported by the cover of the casing 1. This connector is shown in detail in Fig. 6 and consists of a head 18 having an annular flange 19 and a hollow stem 20. The lower end of the hollow stem is exteriorly threaded so as to be secured into the threaded boss 2 to clamp the collar 17 between the flange 19 and the upper surface of the boss. The intermediate portion of the stem 20 is a smaller diameter than the interior ofthe collar 17 so as to provide a space in the collar about the stem and the stem is provided with a pluralit of lateral openings 21 leading to the ho low interior thereof.

The cap 4 also has a second enlargement 23 open at its outer end and having internal screw-threads 24 to receive any suitable form of coupling by which the pipe (not shown) leading from the supply tank is connected. The enlargement 22 also has a vertical bore 25 in which is secured a downwardly extending hollow -tube 26 having a goose neck 27 at its lower end so that the discharge end of the tube projects upwardly in a substantial central position in the receptacle 3. Y

Connected to the extreme lower end of the tube 16, which is substantially in line with terior of the tube, these orifices being located in the lower portion of the space between the disks.

The receptacle 3 is preferably partly filled with water, the water being maintained at Ia point slightly above the discharge end of the tube 26, which is preferably located substantially at the highest liquid level in the outer casing of the vacuum system. Upon each creatlon of a partial vacuum in the inner chamber of the vacuum feed system a similar vacuum will be created in the receptacle 3 which causes a jet of fuel mixed more or less with water to be projected against the under side of 'the disk 28 which acts as a deflector or baffle to project the fuel and water downwardly. This, it has been discovered, has the effect of separatin'g the sediment and other foreign particles from the liquid and causing it to be deposited in the bottom of the receptacle, and, when water is used, also has the result of separating the water from the liquid fuel by holding the water back, but permitting the liquid fuel which is lighter than the water to rise in the receptacle to a point somewhat beyond the contracted annular opening 32 where it finds its way between the disks and into the tube 16 and from thence to the vacuum system through the connections before described. The li uid fuel in ractice rises to a point somew at higher than the disk 30, the fuel rising until the air in the receptacle is compressed in the upper portion thereof sufficiently to stop the flow of the fuel beyond the quan'tity necessary to y supply the demand of the system.

As the liquid fuel flows into the receptacle it also acts to compress the air in the chamber formed by the disk 30 and its flange 31, which, seeking to escape, fiows into the receptacle through the liquld fuel entering the chamber through the narrow passageway formed by the disk 28 and the lower edge of the flange 31 thus holding back any small particles of foreign matter in the liquid fuel and effectively preventing lsuch particles from entering the orice 33 of the tube 16.

When the vacuum is broken in the vacuum feed system air rushes into the receptacle throu h the orifice 33 with considerable force, disl ging any particles of foreign matter which have been deposited on the disk about the orifice permitting the foreign matter to settle to the bottom of the receptacle. The head of the liquid at 'this time drops rapidly in the receptacle, which also acts to wash from the disks particles of dirt', or other forelgrsi matter.

hen a partial vacuum is created liquid fuel flows into the receptacle and after it rises above the orifice 33 the remaining air is compressed, forming anair pressure in the top of the receptacle which acts in conjunction with the lower baffle plate to prevent to a large extent agitation of the liquid fuel in the receptacle, thus preventing the sediment in the bottom of the receptacle from rising to the top of the liquid.

The effect of this construction and o eration is to cause the sediment in the liquid fuel to be separated therefrom, the Water acting as a separating medium and also serving to hold the sediment in solution therein, the sediment accumulating in bottom of the receptacle which may be readily removed and cleaned when necessary. This device has been found in practice to be very effective for the purpose for which it is designed and not only eliminates the sediment from the fuel but the peculiar construction thereof also effectively prevents the water from entering the feed system.

While, as before stated, water is preferably employed in the receptacle to assist in the separation of the sediment, it has been found that very good results in the separation of the sediment can be secured without the use of water, and it has also been found that the peculiar arrangement of parts has the effect of separating any water which may be in the fuel and causing it to be deposited in the bottom of the receptacle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a receptacle, means for supplying liquid fuel to said receptacle, a connection to a vacuum feed system having a portion thereof project- -ing into said receptacle and having a oommunication with the interior thereof, and a chamber arranged about the entrance from said receptacle to said connection having an airspace above said entrance, for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the character described,

a receptacle,'means for supplying liquid fuel to said receptacle, a connection to a vacuum feed system having a tube projecting into said receptacle and communicating therewith, and a chamber arranged about the entrance to said tube from said chamber having an air space above said entrance, for the purpose specified.

3. In a device of the character described, a receptacle, means for supplying liquid fuel -to said receptacle, a connection to a vacuum feed system having a tube located in said receptacleffsaid tube having an orifice forming a communication between the interior of said tube and said receptacle, a pair of disks connected with said tube on opposite sides of said orifice, the upper disk having a down-turned peripheral flange to form an air chamber above said orifice and also to cooperate with the lower disk to form a restricted entrance for the fuel, for the purpose specified.

4. In a device of the character described, a receptacle, means for supplying liquid fuel to said receptacle, a connection to a vacuum feed system leading from said receptacle from a point above the inlet of said supply means, and a chamber surrounding the entrance from said receptacle to said connection, said chamber having an air space above said entrance and also having a comparatively narrow peripheral passageway leading from said receptacle thereto.

5. In a device of the character described, a receptacle, a liquid fuel supply tube projecting into said receptacle and discharging upwardly, a second tube leading from said receptacle to a vacuum feed system, the inlet of said second tube being located above the discharge end of said first tube, and a chamber surrounding the inlet to said second tube and having an air space above said inlet, said chamber also having a fuel inlet from said receptacle. 'r

6. In a device of the character described, a liquid 'fuel suppl tube projecting into the lower portion o saidl receptacle, a second tube leading from said receptacle to a vacuum feed system, the inlet to said second tube being located above the discharge end of said first tube, a pair of disks connected with said ysecond tube on opposite sides of said inlet, the upper one of said disks being provided with a down-turned peripheral {iange to form an air space above said inletl and to also cooperate with the lower disk to form a peripherally extending fuel inlet to said chamber.

7. In a device of the character described, a receptacle, means for supplying liquid fuel to said receptacle, a connection to a vacuum system consisting of a tube projecting down wardly into said receptacle, said tube having a lateral orifice communicating with the interior of said receptacle, and a air of horizontally-disposed disks arrange in parallel spaced relation in comparatively close proximity to each other, one above and one below said orifice, to form a restricted passageway leading to said orifice.

8. In a device of the character describedv a receptacle, means for supplying liquid fuel to said receptacle, and a tube extending downwardly into said receptacle and having a communication with a vacuum feed system, said tube having an opening communieating with the interior of said receptacle at a point removed from the upper end of said receptacle whereby the upper portion of said receptacle above said tube opening forms an air chamber in which air is compressed by the incoming liquid fuel.

9. In a device of the character described, a receptacle, a tube extending downwardly into said receptacle and having a communication with a vacuum feed system, said tube having an opening communicating with the `interior of said receptacle at a point removed from the upper end thereof, horizontally-disposed` disks in parallel s aced relation arranged one on each side o said opening, and means for supplying liquid fuel to said receptacle at a point below the said opening and disks, that portion of the receptacle above said opening and disks forming a chamber in which air is compressed by the incoming fuel.

10. In a device of thecharacter described, a receptacle, a liquid supply tube extending into said receptacle having a verticallyprojecting discharge portion, a diaphragm above the discharge end of said tube and centrally* over the same, said diaphragm having a down-turned peripheral flange, and a connection between said receptacle and a vacuum feed system, said connection being arranged to take the liquid from said receptacle at a point above said diaphragm.

In testimony whereof, have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of August, 1922.

HARRY V. GOMPF.

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